Police have released a composite sketch of a suspect in the shooting death of 27-year-old Joel Alexander, who was gunned down in a parking lot in Toronto’s Entertainment District in December.
At a news conference Thursday, Det. Sgt. Terry Browne told reporters police are looking for a “very good looking,” “well-dressed” man who is “approximately 30 years of age.”
Browne said it was significant that the suspect is being described as “model-like.”
Browne said on the afternoon of December 11, 2015, Alexander had parked his car around King Street West and Peter Street so he could buy some items nearby. He and a young woman were sitting inside the vehicle at the time.
A man was driving north on Peter Street and pulled a U-turn. Browne said the car “literally stopped parallel to Mr. Alexander's vehicle and commenced shooting."
Shots were then fired from the passenger’s side more than five times, Browne said.
Alexander was pronounced dead at the hospital. The woman in the car with him did not suffer any injuries.
Police were able to collect information from witnesses and surveillance camera footage to create a sketch of the suspect. Browne described the suspect as a good-looking black man with a light complexion.
The vehicle in question had heavily-tinted windows and was a 2006 Lexus 250 or 350 sedan. Witnesses spotted a Lexus around the scene before the shooting. Police said they believe the car’s licence plates were stolen.
Browne said a vehicle with the same description had been following Alexander’s car up to an hour before the shooting.
Investigators are still trying to determine the suspect’s motive, Browne said. He suggested it was Alexander’s “lifestyle” that may have “put him at a higher risk” but refused to give any more details. He did say that the victim did not have any ties to any known gangs.
Police are asking any witnesses to come forward and anyone with information to call 416-222-8477.
